Protest Against INS Arrests

The INS has detained hundreds of individuals from Iran, Iraq, Syria, Libya and Sudan who voluntarily went to the INS office to register. Ms. Banafsheh Akhlaghi, an attorney from San Francisco, reports that the detainees have been treated inhumanely: shackled, standing for hours, no drinking water, 2-3 hours sleep, and confinement. We call on you, those who are concerned with the rights and dignities of all human beings and who believe that people must express their feelings regarding the violations of the United States Constitution, to participate in demonstrations being held in San Diego and San Francisco. We, Students for Progress and Development in Iran, the Law Offices of Akhlaghi & Associates, as well as a wide range of organizations will be sponsoring a demonstration in San Francisco, California on Monday December 23rd at 11AM in front of the INS building*.  By coming together and uniting to pronounce our grievances, we hope to influence the INS to release the detainees as was accomplished in LA.  The purpose of our demonstration is not to voice anti-U.S. sentiment but rather to demand the state to uphold the basic civil liberties we are entitled to under the U.S. Constitution. For those interested in helping to organize and make placards, we will be meeting on Sunday. The exact time and location will be announced later.